Ippudo @ Mohamed Sultan

Not too sure whats the big deal with Ippudo, this tonkotsu ramen was a salt-bomb. Had to down too many glasses of water to quench my thirst after.  Much prefer the ones at Santouka/Keisuke

Mitsuba

 So since the chef at Chikuwatei moved to Mitsuba, I figured you cant go wrong with the chirashi don.

With the sashimi and rice served separately, it was admittedly not as visually stunning but the thick slabs of fish had all the trademarks of Chikuwatei and Wasabi Tei eh

 Really good and fresh

 Salmon don with its very generous serving of the pink fish

Price-wise it is slightly more expensive than the other 2 restaurants I mentioned earlier but I guess with a river view, this place has better ambience.

6 Eu Tong Sen Street
#03-88 The Central
Singaproe 059817

Brasserie Gavroche

We were all craving for steak frites so we popped into the nearest French restaurant. Quaint decor with traditional looking booths and menu = sign of authenticity?

This was the grass-fed sirloin ($38) that comes with a bucket of fries. Unfortunately I didnt think much of the steak, it was tough and did not have much flavor though the cross-section looked pretty darn good. Fries were crispy-good though. L'Entrecote's cheaper version is much better.

One plus side - the waiters here are pretty darn cute. Throw in a couple glasses of wine and I am sure most of the diners will be reduced to giggling school girls.

66 Tras St

Singapore 079005

6225 8266

Tamarind Hill

Checking out Tamarind hill as a potential venue for our wedding. This place is gorgeous - a large colonial style house nestled in the middle of Labrador Park, really romantic and classy.  There are not many restaurants in Singapore that make you feel like you have been transported to another country, but this one really does from the large airy dining space to waiters in fisherman pants greeting you at the door. 

Food wise - the best way to describe it would be 'Atas' Thai food. Think classic thai dishes with good quality ingredients.  (Pardon the poor quality pictures, lightning was almost non-existent)

Started dinner with this refreshing cucumber cocktail. The bar is really lovely btw,  with a "chandelier" and a large mirror overlooking the entire place. I can imagine doing our wedding toasts there.

We settled on the classics - tomyum soup, green curry and stir-fried beef. Everything was aptly done and delicious though at the back of my head, I feel that nothing beats good thai food at a road side stall. 

Maybe because fine-dining creates such delicateness in the dishes hence the robustness of the thai spices are somewhat lacking. 

In the end, we decided not to go with this place for our venue. Personally, I thought it was a tad too classy (I prefer a more casual ambience) and I wasnt a fan of the many walls/pillars that 'closed up' the dining space.

So the search continues...

30 Labrador Villa Road

62786364

Fika Cafe

Before I found out about Fika, the only place I could think of that offers swedish food was Ikea. 

We came here expecting Ikea variety of food but Fika's menu was much more extensive (so much so I had a hard time deciding what to eat).  Best of all, its a halal establishment so great for group outings.

The grilled chicken crepe ($17.50) was huge. In fact servings here are big so do share if your a small eater. 

Chockfull of chicken and oozing cheese, a very satisfying crepe.

Will come back to try their deserts. And yes they do serve meatballs. 

257 Beach Road

63969096

Vineyard @ Hortpark

One of several restaurants we visited in a bid to find the perfect venue for our wedding. 

Unfortunately this was not the place. 

Venue-wise, Vineyard had a lovely location, with the sprawling hort park outside perfect for solemnization. The restaurant itself was too small for us though.

That aside, food was average to below average with really sloppy service (spilled wine, absent-minded waiters, error in bill etc)

 Short ribs that were not fall off bones soft so nothing much to say other than I have had better (apologize for the grainy photos, the lightning was bad)

 Same goes for the duck confit

 Vineyard's menu is a mis-match of cuisine  from italian to thai and perhaps that lies its problem, sometimes I think its better to just specialize in something rather than attempt it all eh? A pretty place to dine in but alas food not quite up to standard.

Department of Caffeine

Department of Caffeine is a hipsters dream. Check all boxes - quirky name, hole in wall tiny little place, hip neighbourhood and cute baristas

That aside, I like the place namely for its awesome waffle.

Coffee is pretty decent

Best buttermilk waffles yet, right thickness and perfect texture (crispy and chewy). Paired with ice cream and caramalised bananas mmm. Will try the savory version the next time!

From the cooked food/semi salad bar - cold soba noodles and a chicken thigh. 

The rest of the usual breakfast fare, scrambled eggs with sausages,toast etc. That tomato was so juicy it was unreal but not a fan of the sausage it was just too chunky and funky tasting.

Department of Caffeine

15 Duxton Road

62233426